PSA begins model cut

PSA Peugeot Citroen has come up with the necessary cash from its share issue that saw Dongfeng and the French state take matching stakes and it’s now on its way to implement the strategy that would allow the rebirth of the carmaker.

The new CEO, Carlos Tavares, has made it clear into his “Back in the Race” upturn plan that its three main brands – as the DS upscale line-up has been elevated into a separate unit – would move to cut down the number of models.

For Peugeot’s part, it looks like the reports have been accurate. French paper “Les Echos” recently said the automaker is moving with its planned model phase-out by cutting down from the line-up the 207 Plus and the 807 minivan.

The 207 Plus was a more affordable refresh of the 207 subcompact, which remained on sales after the latter was followed in 2012 by a new generation of the model, the 208. The company also confirmed a second report from the paper, in which it said the next in line to get the axe was the big 807 minivan, as the model would not get a replacement once it reaches the end of its production run. The decision makes sense, as the European minivan segment has been steadily declining in recent years.